Work is underway on a 79 million expansion of the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester Minnesota set to debut in 2017 When complete the expansion will nearly double the size of the centers meeting and event facilities giving event planners countless new reasons to explore Rochester The expansion will bring the total amount of space at the Mayo Civic Center to more than 200 000 square feet enough to host up to 2 000 attendees A new 40 000-square-foot Grand Ballroom will offer a seating capacity of more than 4 000 people a ceiling height of 32 feet and high-end finishes to compliment any decorating scheme A state-of-the-art kitchen and expanded food service facilities will also be included in the expanded Mayo Civic Center With a 25 000-square-foot exhibit hall a 25 000-square-foot arena and 23 breakout rooms the spacious and convenient Mayo Civic Center will be the perfect venue for events ranging from medical conferences to large business meetings and event planners can see first-hand by viewing a virtual tour of the expansion We listened carefully to the needs of meeting planners and event attendees while designing the expansion said Brad Jones director of the Rochester Convention Visitors Bureau Those insights are reflected in the thoughtful design of the space and were confident meeting planners will be very impressed with the outcome The Mayo Civic Centers close proximity to the prestigious Mayo Clinic makes it a frequent host for medical health care and biotech meetings and events and the expanded space will offer planners more tools than ever to connect to the pulse of this hub As construction unfolds the Mayo Civic Center will continue to host events with minimal disruption to attendees The downtown location of the Mayo Civic Center is directly connected to 2 100 hotel rooms restaurants shopping and entertainment by a skyway system to give attendees access in a pleasant climate year-round An easy drive south from Minneapolis and close to many other major Midwest cities Rochester has long delighted visitors with its convenient location and Midwestern charms View a virtual tour of the MCC expansion at wwwrochestercvborg event-planners opening-2017 or contact the Rochester Convention Center Visitors Bureau at 507 288-4331 or info rochestercvborg to learn more about hosting an event at the Mayo Civic Center About Rochester Convention Visitors Bureau The Rochester MN Convention and Visitors Bureau is the official marketing agency for the city of Rochester responsible for destination sales and marketing efforts The RCVB works to encourage conventions meetings sporting events and business travel to Rochester and provides travel-planning support for the patients of Mayo Clinic The RCVB offers comprehensive information about lodging dining special events activities and local attractions For more information visit wwwrochestercvborg